Utah gymnastics: Injuries starting to nag at Red Rocks

Just when Utah's gymnastics team seemed to be on a roll, the fifth-ranked Utes are getting hit with another challenge, this time in the form of nagging injuries.

The Utes have decided to sit out three-event starter Kailah Delaney (sore knee) for Saturday's contest at No. 14 Cal, while all-arounder Samantha Partyka will compete on the uneven bars and balance beam due to a sore lower leg.

The Utes are already down standout Kari Lee, who tore her Achilles' tendon earlier in the season.

With three meets remaining in the regular season, the Utes don't want to risk losing more of their top talent before the postseason begins.

"We're trying to manage them," Utah coach Megan Marsden said of the injuries. "We want them to be at their best at the end of the season, and in my opinion, Greg [Marsden] was a master at this. [Co-coach] Tom [Farden] and I were taught well, and we are following in his footsteps and trying to do the same thing."

The good news for the Utes is the coaches feel they have gymnasts capable of filling the vacancies well. Penciled in as the replacements are freshmen MaKenna Merrell and Erika Muhaw on vault, Merrell on beam and Merrell and senior Baely Rowe on floor.

If those lineups stand, it will be Muhaw's first college routine and Rowe's first floor routine this season.

"That is what is good, we have others we are confident in," Marsden said. "We just don't want (Delaney and Partyka) to get to a point where their injuries shut them down or are in pain so bad they can't do their routines well. We want them rested, and it will give us a chance to use some other people."

Feeling better

Marsden missed the Utes' 197.15-195.875 win over Stanford on Saturday due to illness but was at practice on Monday. Saturday was the first time in 32 years she has missed a meet. She remained in her hotel room watching the meet on a computer.

"I hope I don't ever have to do that again," Marsden said. "I didn't like it. But I had to make a decision, it was a hard decision, but I couldn't sit up for any length of time. My role during meets is to be a positive force, and I think I would have been more of a downer than helper."

In the rankings

There was little movement in the rankings this week even with the switch to the regional qualifying score system, which uses an average of road and home meets. Oklahoma is No. 1 with a 197.595 average followed by Florida (197.355), Alabama (197.195), Michigan (196.92) and Utah (196.85).

Utah is No. 8 on the vault (49.17), fifth on the uneven bars (49.26), seventh on the beam (49.155) and tied with Auburn for eighth on the floor (49.27).

Rowe and Kassandra Lopez are tied for 11th on the bars (9.88). Maddy Stover is 13th on the beam (9.87) and Sabrina Schwab is 11th on the floor (9.905).

Speaking of postseason

Ticket sales for the NCAA Regionals, which the Utes host on April 2, are going strong according to school officials. About half of the lower bowl (3,450 seats) has been sold. Tickets in rows 1-20 for the general public are $16, and for rows 21-31, $8.

The top two teams from the regional qualify for the NCAA Championships April 15-16 in Fort Worth, Texas.